An Interlude
by Scarlet Eve
Summary: A series of fluffy one-shots of moments off camera during GW. "Relena let out a sigh. Soon, she would be back in her room, and she could let down this façade. Plus, there was a particularly nasty bobby pin jabbing into her scalp." - Updated Chapter 3- Joyride
1. Chapter 1

An Interlude

Queen Relena's heels tapped against the marble floors of the palace, sending up echoes through the cold, cavernous hall. She held her hands together lightly in front of her as she walked, mostly for her own comfort. Surrounding her were several armed guards, marching along with her to her rooms. They never spoke to her except when giving her information about the day and her safety, so she spent most of her time with her own thoughts.

The small group approached a set of marble stairs. Relena carefully pick up her skirt to free her feet and climbed the steps, taking her time. She could have gone faster, as walking up and down steps in heels was something she was an expert at, but she liked frustrating the guards. Every once in a while, she would wobble as she took a step, just to keep the guards on their toes. When she reached the top of the steps, the marble was replaced by lush carpet, and the sounds of her heels were muffled. Relena let out a sigh. Soon, she would be back in her room, and she could let down this façade. Plus, there was a particularly nasty bobby pin jabbing into her scalp.

The double doors leading to Relena's rooms were ahead. One of the armed guards unlocked the doors and stepped aside to allow Relena in. She thanked them.

"We will have two on watch at the doors. Just say so if you need anything," the man with the key said to her. Relena nodded and stepped inside her rooms while the door closed behind her.

The moment the doors closed, she knew that she was not alone. Her silent watcher was somewhere in the room, waiting. For what, Relena was curious to find out. She kicked off her heels and stretched her toes. Her feet felt much better being cushioned against the thick carpet. Relena moved further into her room and spread her arms out wide.

"Hello Heero. Are you here to kill me or protect me?" she said into the room, quietly enough that the guards posted outside the door wouldn't hear. Music began to play, a waltz. Heero stepped out from the shadows to her right. Relena turned towards him.

"I haven't decided yet," he answered. Relena looked him over. He was wearing a uniform, probably stolen, and she could see a gun tucked into his belt. At least it wasn't already in his hand. He took several quick steps across the room until he was standing in front of her.

"Should I ask you how you got in here?" she asked. Heero shrugged.

"Probably not. Otherwise you may try to escape," he said.

"That would be too bad, wouldn't it," she said, turning her head away from him slightly. Was it that obvious that Relena felt like a prisoner?

"It's not safe," he replied. She met his eyes again.

"Nothing is safe." Relena turned away from him and walked across her room to her dressing table. She could feel his eyes on her, following her movements. She carefully slipped the long, silk gloves off her arms and set them gently down on the side of the table. She released the earrings from her ears and placed them in their proper box. As she was reaching up to take off the glittering diamond necklace, she felt Heero's hand brush against her shoulder. She dropped her hands and allowed him to unclasp the delicate latch. He carefully lifted the necklace off of her and set it down on the dressing table.

"They are only using you, you know," Heero said. Relena turned back around, and she was started at how close he was to her. His blue eyes bore into her, deep to her soul.

"Yes, I know," she replied. Her eyes narrowed. "But there are more advantages to being a figurehead than being stuffed inside expensive clothes and adorned with expensive jewelry." Heero raised an eyebrow. Relena raised her hands to frame her face. "Everyone knows me now," she said. "Even when the inevitable happens and they have me dethroned, the people will still remember my face."

"I see," Heero replied, but Relena could tell he hadn't really thought about it. Heero reached up and lifted the gold tiara off of her pile of hair. He held it gingerly in his hands and looked it over. Relena took it from him and sighed.

"Sometimes I wonder what life would have been like if my biological parents hadn't been killed," she confessed, resting the tiara on a pile of silk on the dressing table. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes. "I probably never would have met you." He didn't respond. She hadn't expected him to.

Several moments of silence passed by between, but it was not an awkward silence. Relena was considering what to do next, as she was exhausted, and Heero's presence was sort of in her way of changing into her pajamas and going to sleep.

"Have you decided yet?" she asked him, stepping around him towards her bed.

"Huh?"

"About whether you are going to kill me or protect me," she reminded him.

"I'm not going to kill you," he replied.

"That's good." Heero seemed to shake himself out of a daze, or his thoughts, and walked past her and sat down on the edge of her bed. Relena tilted her head slightly, but he held a hand out to her. Surprised but curious, Relena took his hand and he pulled her towards him. She turned and sat down on the edge of the bed, positioned between his legs. The sudden intimate closeness to him gave Relena feelings she was almost ashamed to admit to herself. Relena rested her hands in her lap, unsure of what Heero's intentions were. She felt one of his hands rest against her hair, then deftly pulled out a bobby pin and set it beside him on the bed. One by one, Heero felt for the pins holding her hair in place and took them out. Soon, Relena felt the pleasure of her hair loosening on her head, freeing her scalp from the pain of the pins. Heero lifted his hand up to the braids and began to unravel them, slowly, allowing them to nearly unravel on their own. Relena exhaled deeply.

Soon, her hair hung against her back, a kinked, wavy mess. Heero ran his fingers through the strands, catching on a few knots and gently working them loose. As each moment passed of this intimate moment, Relena was more and more confused. She knew he didn't steal a uniform and break into her rooms just to unbraid her hair.

"Heero," she said quietly. She caught one of his hands in her own, feeling the rough, callused skin.

"Hmm?"

"Why are you really here?"

"To see if you knew what you were doing," he said. His hand rested on her shoulder. "To see… how you were doing."

"Why did you change your mind about killing me?"

"I've been trying to figure that out myself." She heard him sigh. "You managed to suddenly become extremely important to the Earth and Colonies. And to the Gundam pilots. And OZ thinks you are a threat, which makes you… important to me." Relena smiled to herself.

"I see."

Heero dropped his hand from her shoulder and laid it over her hands in her lap. For several long moments, they sat in silence, listening to each other's breath. Relena wondered if she would ever get the chance to enjoy Heero's company without the threat of death or war. But at least now she knew that deep inside him, somewhere, was the ability, and perhaps even the desire, to be more than just a Gundam pilot. That perhaps someday, he could live like a normal teenage boy.

Relena relaxed slightly, and Heero's body moved in an automatic response to tighten his hold on her. She slumped back against his chest, feeling the warmth of his body through his uniform. She could feel his breath at her cheek. She could feel the beating of his heart, melding with her own, and it soothed her. A few moments later, Relena's eyes slipped closed.

Relena woke up in a panic and looked around. The room was dark, and she was lying on her bed. She still wore her gown, which was now hopelessly rumbled and creased. A pale sliver of moonlight flowed between the curtains over the ever-locked doors leading to an off-limits balcony. She looked around the room, wondering if Heero had disappeared. She was about to lie her head back down on the pillow when she noticed a chair had been moved, and that someone was sitting in it. She rose from the bed and walked quietly over to the chair, trying to dampen the rustle of her gown.

Heero was asleep, his head propped up by his hand, which rested on the arm of the chair. Relena stared, amazed, at the peaceful expression on his face as he slept. She knew he would disappear before the sun rose. Relena left him there and walked to her bathroom to change into her pajamas. She tossed the gown over the bathtub and pulled her nightgown down over her head. The silk settled around her body and she smiled. It was a luxury of being Queen that she truly appreciated. She tried to comb out her hair, but it seemed Heero had done a better job of it than she expected. She tossed the comb back on the sink and left the bathroom.

Heero hadn't stirred. She looked around her room, wanting to leave something with Heero to show her appreciation of him. She tiptoed past him to her bookshelf and pulled a small, leather bound book from the top shelf. It was a book of poetry she'd found when she was younger, at a street sale. The book fell open in her hands to the page she wanted, as it was the page she'd read the most. It was a poem about peace, about roses, and angels. It was her favorite. And that's why she grabbed the top and carefully ripped the page out. She read it one more time, then folded it into a small square. She walked to Heero's sleeping form and tucked it between his fingers. His head lolled slightly, but he remained asleep. Relena smiled at him and touched his cheek, then retreated to her own bed.

In the morning, he was gone.

**Inspired by this picture: 25 DOT media DOT tumblr DOT com/tumblr_lwv8vdbiDp1qab5xpo1_500 DOT jpg**


	2. Chapter 2

An Interlude

Brief Touches

by Scarlet Eve

_I will survive!_

Relena stood on the dock, watching through the large window as Heero's gundam issued forth the final blast, incinerating the piece of Libra that was hurtling towards Earth. Relena released the breath she'd been holding, slowly allowing her shoulders to relax, knowing that all those living on Earth would be safe. She clutched her hand to her chest, her eyes fixated on the spot where the block had been. The empty vacuum of space pulled apart the debris as it flew through the zero gravity in all directions. And out of the flash of light, Heero's gundam flew back towards the other waiting gundams. Seeing his gundam gave Relena a greater feeling of relief, something she felt slightly guilty about.

The crew around her cheered, and Noine placed a comforting hand on Relena's shoulder. Relena glanced up at the woman, a small smile on her face. They both knew that Heero had saved them all.

One of the crew members lifted a hand to his headset, pressing the earpiece closer to his ear in order to hear the choppy message. After a moment, he lowered his hand and turned towards Colonel Une. "Colonel," he called, and Une turned. She took a few steps towards the man and leaned down. Relena watched as he spoke something to her, quietly in her ear. Une's face fell upon hearing whatever he had to say. Slowly, Une rose up, squaring her shoulders and walked back towards Relena and Noine. The expression on her face was grave, and Relena felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. The older woman looked sadly at Relena and Noine.

"The rescue crews have been unable to locate any sign of Zechs or Epyon. It's possible he's..."

"Don't!" Noine cried out suddenly, turning her face away. Relena glanced up at her, feeling her heart go out to her, knowing the extent of her love for Relena's formerly estranged brother. Relena's own throat tightened in response to the news, but she didn't cry. She forced back the desire to cry. Something deep inside her told her that her brother was not dead. Perhaps, if she had time, she could ask Heero what he knew. He was the last one to fight him, after all...

Relena turned away as Une continued to look sadly at Noine. From the large windows, she could see the gundams returning to MO-II. As much as she desperately wanted to see Heero, she reigned in the desire and left the control room, looking for a place to be alone.

She half walked, half floated along the hallway, her hand trailing lightly along the cold, metal wall panelings. When her shoes touched the ground, they made a soft tap, until she pressed off again to float through the limited gravity. Eventually, she found a window with a large enough place for her to sit. She hoisted herself up easily to perch on the edge of the sill. The cool metal pressed against the back of her legs where her skirt ended. She leaned back against the glass and closed her eyes, fighting to control her speeding heart and her shaking hands.

Earth was safe. Her brother was missing. Heero had survived. Relena had survived. She vaguely wondered if what Heero had said was true: that if she survived the battle, then peace would finally be realized. Having failed at stopping her brother from leading the White Fang into that pointless battle, she was feeling quite unsure about her own abilities at that moment.

Relena took a deep breath and let it out slowly, letting it cleanse her anxiety. Nearby, she could hear chaotic, mechanical noises. She wondered if that was the gundam pilots arriving back at the resource satellite. A few minutes later, she heard footsteps coming down the hall, and getting louder. Relena opened her eyes and saw that boy, Duo Maxwell, walking towards her. He'd unzipped the upper half of his spacesuit, showing the brown t-shirt he was wearing underneath. His long braid floated out behind him as he walked.

"Princess!" he called by way of greeting. Relena mustered a smile for him as he grew nearer. His violet eyes sparkled, and he wore a large smile, one that seemed, almost knowing, if Relena had to hazard a guess. Duo stopped in front of her spot on the window sill.

"Hello," Relena said. She opened her mouth to say something more, but she was at a loss for words. Duo winked at her, taking her by surprise. He patted her hands, which had been clasped together tightly in her lap.

"Don't worry about trying to say anything. I was just on my way to check up on Hilde. Heero should be arriving back here any minute now," he said. Relena stared at him in wonder, and he grinned. Duo casually leaned back and scratched the back of his head, one hand planting itself on his hip. "I'm sure he'd like to know that you're safe."

Relena absently reached up and toyed with a strand of hair. "I don't think-" she started to say, but Duo began to walk away.

"Don't let his glares fool you, Princess!" he called over his shoulder before his disappeared through a door. Relena stared after him, feeling confused. After mulling his words over, she shrugged and leaned back once again. Her ever active mind was following along a mental path of trying to figure out where she would go once she returned to Earth, and what she would do with her life. She was beginning to miss her mother very much. Relena felt she could use her mother's level-headed advice just about now.

Another set of footsteps alerted Relena to another presence. She opened her eyes once again, and her heart fluttered in her chest. Heero was half floating down the hall, the boots of his spacesuit occasionally touching down to push him off again. The movement caused his hair to sway, giving Relena a full view of his deep blue eyes. But he wore no glare. If anything, he wore a neutral expression, but his gaze was elsewhere. Relena wondered if he had even seen her sitting there.

She was feeling content to hide in the recessed window, but Heero's eventually found her. He stopped moving and stood near her, staring at her. Relena forced a smile, relief at his seeming to be one in piece washing over her. She carefully hopped down from her perch and clasped her hands in front of her.

"Relena," Heero said, in that way that never gave any indication that he was going to say anything else, like just her name alone was a full sentence. Relena moved suddenly, the impulse to run to him overwhelming and controlling her reflexes. But she stopped herself, and forced her shoulders back up straight. She bowed her head to him in greeting. Her mind whirled as she tried to think of something to say. In her peripheral vision, she could see that he was still standing there, seemingly waiting for her to move or say something.

"How does one thank someone for saving all of mankind?" Relena asked lamely, too afraid to meet his eyes. To her immense surprise, Heero chuckled lightly. She lifted her eyes to his. There was a smile, a small one, pulling at his lips. She watched as Heero leaned forward slightly and pushed himself forward, coming to a stop only a few inches from her. She tilted her head up slightly to look into his eyes, their heights not much different.

"I don't know," he answered. Relena's heart hammered in her chest so hard she thought he might be able to hear it. The smell of sweat lifted from his skin, and up close, she could see the lines under his eyes from exhaustion. "Maybe I should ask how to thank someone for helping to bring peace to everyone," he commented. Relena's face grew hot at the compliment, though she felt it was undeserved at the present.

"I haven't done anything," she said. Relena flinched slightly as she felt her hand suddenly taken up in Heero's hand, his fingers circling around her palm. His hand was so cold.

"Don't say that," he said, his voice low and gruff. Relena's eyes widened slightly. Heero's grip on her hand tightened ever so slightly. Finally, Relena threw caution to the wind and wound her arms around his neck and pushed herself up on her toes. She pulled him close to her, her face nestled against his shoulder. Hesitantly, his hands shifted around to her back, holding her lightly at first, then he tightened his grip, their bodies pressing against one another in a way they'd never done with anyone of the opposite sex.

"I'm just so glad you're alive," Relena said, her voice muffled slightly by the spacesuit he still wore. "I was so worried." She could feel his breath against her neck, and his hair tickled against her ear.

"You don't need to worry about me," he said. "You have more important things to worry about." Relena shook her head.

"I will always worry about you." Heero pulled away slightly, but didn't break the hug.

"Why?" he asked her. A blush crept up over her cheeks. The teenage hormone induced urge to yell "I love you" built itself up in her throat, but she swallowed that down. Instead she replied,

"You mean a great deal to me." To her relief, Heero accepted this answer with a slight nod. Slowly, almost reluctantly, Heero allowed his arms to fall from their place against her back, and Relena removed her own arms from his neck and stood a small step back from him. "What will you do now?" she asked, feeling silly, since she wouldn't know her own response if someone had asked her the same question.

"I have some things I need to wrap up," Heero said. Relena didn't know what he could have to wrap up, since he always seemed so nomadic, but she didn't want to press him further.

"If you ever need a place to go..." Relena said, her voice dropping low in embarrassment. Heero's hand, still cold, brushed against her cheek.

"Your task is just beginning, Relena. You have much to do now. If you are intent on worrying about me, at least keep me in the back of your mind. I promise I will be around whenever you need me," he said, his eyes soft, much like they were when he spoke to her before going off to fight the final battle with her brother. Relena wanted to ask him to stay by her side, but she kept that desire to herself. She understood what he was saying, and she knew her own mind and her determination well enough that until peace was stabilized, she would be so focused that she would hardly have time for anything else. And besides, Heero deserved so much more than to be her pillar of strength, when it was her strength he needed now. That burden had shifted the instant Heero brought down the offending piece of Libra. And perhaps someday, in the future when the load of world peace had been lifted from her shoulders, their paths would cross again, and perhaps at that time, they could share the new future together.

I know how the manga shows this, and I didn't like it, and of course the OAV gives us shippers nothing after the final battle. I like this one better :-)


	3. Chapter 3

__An Interlude

Chapter 3: Joyride

_"Was it really the right decision to allow Noine to bring weapons to the Sanq Kingdom?"_

_"How can someone preach peace with an army of mobile suits standing right behind them?_

The sun had set hours ago, but Relena still sat in her office, chin in hand, drumming her fingers on the smooth wood of the desk. The attack on the Sanq Kingdom had happened earlier, and already, it seemed like it happened ages ago. And the decision to allow weapons to be brought into the kingdom, for protection, still hung in Relena's mind. She knew that everyone, Noine, Dorothy, Heero and Quatre, all agreed that it was important to protect the Sanq Kingdom with weapons. She'd thrown her country into a precarious position without any consideration of how she would uphold her ideals, and keep the kingdom from falling. It was a major oversight on her part, believing that by taking a peaceful position would keep attackers away. She supposed she still had a lot to learn about running a kingdom of peace

Relena lifted her hand and idly inspected the scratches and bruises left from the car crash with Dorothy and the debris flying through the gusts caused by the propulsion systems of the mobile suits. She'd hidden the injuries among the folds of her skirts. It was a small thing, really, that Noine and Quatre didn't need to worry about

Relena spun her chair around and looked out the large window. The sky was illuminated by stars and the moon. And up there among the stars were the colonies, wanting peace just as much as she did, she hoped. She almost missed going up to space, as she hadn't been since her father was killed. Relena didn't think it would be the same… riding up in the shuttle without her father at her side. Would he have made the same decision as she did, to arm the Sanq Kingdom? What about her biological father, King Peacecraft? What would he say

Restless, Relena rose from her chair and slipped her shoes back on her feet. She left her office and stepped out into the dark hallway that would lead eventually to the living quarters. Everyone had gone to bed hours ago, so she assumed. After she had returned from the battle, she begged off from everyone and hid in her office for the evening. Her mind was whirling and she'd needed time to think.

But all she did was think in circles and second guess herself. She tried to maintain the confidence that her father would have had, but she found her confidence shaky after realizing how vulnerable her country had become.

Her footsteps made no noise against the lush carpet on the floors. She wandered, not really trying to make it anywhere. She was far too anxious to sleep.

On the first floor of the building, a bank of lights was still lit at the end of a long hallway. Relena knew where that lead to; it led to the basement, where the mobile suits were stored. She knew from the blueprints of the building that a long hall led away from the building to an area behind, still on the school's property, where a door was built beneath the ground, which allowed the mobile suits to exit the storage area without harming buildings. If that had been built before Relena ever arrived in the Sanq Kingdom, then someone must have known that protection was necessary. But why didn't that thought comfort her?

Relena stood in front of the access panel. Unsure of her full range of access in the building, she placed her hand against the reader. A moment later, a light blinked green and a loud click indicated that the door had been unlocked. Her hand wrapped around the handle, and she pulled the door open.

The lights in the hallway turned on as she walked, illuminating only a few feet ahead of her until she covered the distance and the next set of lights would flicker on. The floor was tiled, so the short heels of her shoes clicked and echoed on each step. The hallway was cold as well, and Relena felt glad that she still wore her blazer.

A door at the end of the hall was finally illuminated. Another access panel. Tentatively, Relena placed her hand flat against the screen. A green light. An audible click. She opened the door and stepped inside.

Before the lights flickered on, Relena felt that she was in a large, cavernous room. The air conditioning system forced an artificial breeze through the large room, making the temperature even lower than the hallway.

The room became illuminated.

Standing closest to her was Wing Zero, Heero's gundam. It was silent and dark, waiting for the next battle. And behind Zero was the ranks of white Taurus suits. The rows stretched out until they disappeared in the darkness of the room. Relena stepped up to the railing of the platform and leaned on it, only a few feet away from Zero now. She closed her eyes, and images rose up in her mind's eye. Men and women, soldiers, running to the sound of the alarm. Some jumping down to the lower floor from the platform and running to their suit. Climbing in, powering up the engines. The exit door opens and one by one, the suits leave the underground storage room and fly up into the sky, ready for battle. But who was truly the enemy?

Relena opened her eyes, no longer feeling like she was alone. Something told her that there was only one person who might be down there in the middle of the night.

"You can come out, Heero," Relena said, her voice dissipating into the vast open space. A moment later, Heero stepped up beside her and leaned against the rail.

"What are you doing down here?" he asked. Relena took a deep breath and exhaled.

"I'm not really sure," replied Relena. She stood up straight and turned towards him slightly. He looked at her from the corner of his eye. "I suppose I wanted to see what you and Noine had brought here."

"The suits?"

"Yes." Relena tilted her head back and looked up at Zero's face. Eyes that glowed green in battle were dark now, sleeping and waiting.

"Suits make you uncomfortable," Heero stated, straightening up as well.

"I suppose so. There was a time when men fought with just a sword, or a gun. Then machines came along, and it was about who had the bigger, faster machine. More power and more size. Until we arrived at these," Relena said, gesturing to the suits. "Was it necessary to come to this?"

Heero didn't respond, but followed her gaze out over the rows of suits. They stood together in silence for a while. Relena was still as confused as she was before. She had thought, perhaps, by looking up at the suits first hand, she'd feel better about their presence in the kingdom. But she was still intimidated by them. They were so large, and so powerful. She wondered why man needed so much power for only one person.

"Do you want to see Zero's cockpit?" Heero asked her suddenly. Relena's attention snapped to him.

"What?"

Heero moved forward and stood up on the railing of the platform. He pressed the button next to the cockpit door, and with a woosh, the layers of doors opened up before them. Heero stepped from the rail to the cockpit platform and held a hand out to her. Relena was about to laugh, but one look at Heero's face told her that he was not joking. Slowly, Relena reached up until her hand was clasped in Heero's.

"Step up on the rail," he said. His grip tightened on her hand, holding her steady, while she hoisted up her skirts with the other and stepped up onto the railing. Relena felt a pulse of excitement wash through her. When both feet were on the rail, Heero took a step back and held out his other hand. Relena placed hers in his grasp. "Now jump." Relena pushed off and with Heero's help, made it onto the platform. She glanced back over her shoulder, a little surprised at herself. Heero released her hands.

"Sit," he commanded. Relena obeyed and stepped forward, turning around, then sat down in the seat. Heero placed his hands up on the edge of the entrance and leaned in a little ways.

The first thing that Relena noticed was the smell. And it was a little intoxicating. It smelled of sweat and leather, grease, and something else… something she supposed was Heero's natural scent. She had to shake her head to refocus. Looking around, Relena saw that the inside of the Gundam was complicated and elaborate. Switches, screens, buttons and levers surrounded her. Slowly, Relena reached her hands out and grasped the controls on either side of her. She glanced up and saw Heero watching her, a small smirk on his face.

"Oh, don't look at me that way, Heero," Relena said, giving him a playful glare. She removed her hands from the controls and dropped them in her lap. "If my father could see me now…"

"It is ironic," Heero agreed. He continued to smirk, and in his eyes, Relena thought she saw a challenge. But what that challenge was, she hadn't a clue. Heero dropped a hand down and held it out to her. Relena took his hand, thinking he would help her back to the platform. Instead, he spun around and sat down in the cockpit.

"What are you doing?" she asked. Heero grabbed her around the waist and pulled her into his lap. She landed on his legs, and her back bumped against his chest. Sure, Relena had feelings for Heero, but the sudden closeness to him was jarring and unexpected. With a quick press of a button, the cockpit closed and lights around them began to glow. "Heero… you can't kidnap me."

"I'm not," he said. Another button pressed, and the systems within Zero came to life. The screen in front of Relena glowed, and she could see the storage room from the view of the Gundam. Heero grasped the controls and pressed forward, and the Gundam began to move.

Relena could not believe what was happening.

She watched in awe as Heero navigated the Gundam through the large room, avoiding the other suits that stood at attention. "Heero, won't someone see Zero?" she asked.

"It's the middle of the night, Relena," he replied. Relena pressed her lips together. Such a smart ass comment from Heero, as if that explained everything.

They had reached the back of the room, and Zero's approach to the exit door signaled the door to open. The night sky opened up above them, and they climbed the ramp at an angle until they were standing among the trees. Relena felt a mixture of anxiety and exhilaration. She glanced at Heero.

"Hang on," he said. Relena frowned. What was there to hang on to? Before she could ask, Heero pushed the control all the way forward, and Zero leapt into the air. Relena screamed and threw her arms around Heero's neck, not even thinking about what she was doing. Her body was pressed against his as they rose up into the sky. In her panic, she'd buried her face in his shoulder and squeezed her eyes shut. A moment later, they slowed.

"Relena, look," Heero said, touching her arm with his hand. Feeling silly, Relena released him and turned to look at the screen. Spread out in front of her was the Sanq Kingdom, the land ending at the ocean beyond. Relena had seen the world from high up before, but she was always moving. Here, in Zero, she could see her kingdom from above without the movement of a shuttle or airplane. Relena inhaled sharply at the view. Above the land, the stars spread out further than the ocean.

"It's beautiful," Relena breathed. Heero sent the Gundam into motion once more, and pressed another button. The Gundam began to shift and change into flight mode. "Where are we going?" she asked.

"Where ever you want," Heero replied. He took her hands and placed them on the control. Relena's throat tightened, and she looked around quickly.

"I can't do this, Heero!" she cried. Heero leaned forward a bit until his chin rested on her shoulder.

"Yes, you can," he replied quietly. He placed his hands over hers and eased forward gently on the control. Zero began to move forward over the land, picking up speed. Adrenaline pumped through Relena, making her shake. Her hands tightened on the controls, and she eased them forward a little more of her own accord. Zero moved faster, the ground speeding quickly below. Before long, they left the land and were flying out over the ocean. Heero gripped tighter on one hand.

"Turn with this," he said, moving the control to show her how. She pulled back more, and Zero banked into a turn, back towards the land. "Give it more speed." Relena responded by pushing forward with her other hand, and Zero sped up more. They passed over the school and beyond.

"No wonder you like doing this," Relena commented as she increased the speed a little more. Heero chuckled.

"I suppose so," he said. As he spoke, he released one hand and wrapped it around her waist, resting his palm against her stomach. Relena's breath hitched for a moment, and she worried for a moment that he could feel or hear the racing of her heart. To be sure, with her back pressed against his chest, she could feel his heart beating hard. And for a moment, just a moment, their hearts synced up into one rhythm, racing in their chests as they raced through the sky.

"Relena…" Heero said in a low voice, almost as a compulsion. She could feel his breath on her neck. He reached up with his other hand and pulled her hair to one side and draped it over her shoulder, and rested his chin on her shoulder once more. Relena trembled. The hand on her stomach tightened over the fabric of her clothing. Relena realized that they'd flown far away from the Sanq Kingdom, speeding over the cities and countrysides of Europe.

"Where are we?" she asked. Heero shrugged.

"Zero knows," he replied. They flew along, and after a while, Relena relaxed, feeling more comfortable now. She sunk back against Heero. In a quick movement, Heero slipped his hands under hers on the controls.

"Ready?" he asked, but before Relena could respond, again, Heero forced Zero into a barrel roll. Relena shrieked once again and threw her arms around his neck. Heero laughed, a sound so strange to hear inside the cockpit of a Gundam. He pulled her legs over to the side of his, so that she sat across his lap. Relena tried to loosen her grip on him, but she was still too surprised. Heero threw Zero into a loop, speeding up all the time. Relena watched the screen showing the world around them, her eyes wide. Heero took her on a wild ride, flying up through the clouds, back down again, rolling and looping through the air. Before long, Relena only held on with one arm around his shoulders, the other settled on his forearm. Riding in the Gundam was much more exciting than any shuttle trip or airplane trip she'd ever taken.

"Do you want to go into orbit?" he asked after a time.

"Space?" Relena asked. Heero nodded. He brought up an overlay on his screen and typed in a few coordinates. Relena watched, having no idea what he was doing. Zero stopped short and changed directions. Heero pressed a button and the overlay disappeared. He removed his hands from the controls, wrapping one around her waist and the other tightening on her legs.

"Is this safe?" Relena asked, a little worried.

"Don't you trust me?" he asked. Relena tilted her head and gave him a slightly annoyed look. "You will be fine." Relena opened her mouth to speak again, but Zero began to move, the angle pointing up towards the sky, to space. Heero flipped a switch as they increased speed, and Relena buried her head again against him. The pressure of gravity trying to keep them on Earth pulled the two down into the seat, and Relena worried, of all things, if Heero was uncomfortable with her pressing so hard against him.

Everything around them turned to fire, reds, oranges and yellows, as the Gundam forced its way through the atmosphere. It was several minutes before the Gundam emerged from the atmosphere and slowed to a stop, and the pressure was gone. Relena's hair began to float around her face due to the lack of gravity. Zero's engines stopped, and soon, the Gundam was floating along Earth's orbit, level with satellites. Relena reached up and pulled her hair together, twisted it and tucked it into her braids, to keep it from spreading out all over the place. When she glanced back at Heero, he was leaning back against the seat, his eyes distant, as if he was lost in thought.

"Heero?" Relena asked, settling herself into a comfortable position.

"Hn?"

"Am I wrong in what I believe?" she asked. Heero's eyes shifted to hers.

"What do you think?" he asked. Relena sighed.

"I'm not so sure anymore," she replied.

"You've chosen a difficult path," Heero said. "You've chosen total pacifism in the midst of war. But your place isn't on the battlefield. That's where people like me and the other pilots belong. You belong in your country, keeping everyone's hope alive that once this war is over, there will be peace."

"Will the war end?"

"They always do." Heero caught her hand in his, and he began to trace the lines on her hand and fingers. "You must stay alive, because when the war is over, you will emerge from the fires and smoke, to be a leader, and bring everyone together. You are the only one who can do that."

"That is a lot of responsibility," Relena said. Heero nodded.

"You are strong." With that simple admission, Relena felt the weight of the day lift from her shoulders. Perhaps she didn't feel she was strong, but the strongest person she knew believed in her, and somehow, that was enough.

"Thank you, Heero."

In silence, they drifted along Earth's orbit, watching the blue planet from their place among the stars. Relena was still so surprised at Heero's behavior, beginning from their meeting in the storage area underground. As they drifted, Heero tightened his hold on her and rested his head against hers. It was the most intimate Relena had ever been with another person, and yet, Relena felt at peace. Though she knew, with some disappointment, that once they were back on Earth, things would go back to normal, and at some point, Heero would leave her to fight again. And she would not know if she would ever see him again. She hoped he would return to her, even if it wasn't until after the war. He'd shown her part of his life that night, and with any amount of luck on both their parts, someday, Relena might be able to show him a part of her life. The life where a person went to bed in the same bed every night and woke up in the same place every morning.

After a while, Heero took control of the Gundam once again, and brought them back to Earth. As they landed in the group of trees where the underground door was hidden, the first evidence of the rising sun was peeking over the horizon. They retreated underground once again, and Heero maneuvered the Gundam back to its original spot. Heero assisted Relena with getting back onto the platform, and they walked together back to the door that lead them into the school.

Before parting ways at the end of the hall, Relena took a chance. She reached up and placed her hand against Heero's cheek. He looked at her, a little surprised.

"Thank you Heero, for this evening," she said, then removed her hand from him. He nodded once, smiled a little, then turned and walked away.

A few hours later, when Relena entered the informal dining room, she hadn't slept at all. She changed and mussed her hair to make it look like she had been sleeping, but in reality, her body and mind were still wired from the night excursion. Noine and Quatre were the only ones awake and eating breakfast.

Relena sat down amid bids of "good morning," and poured herself a cup of tea. A small television beside the table was on, showing the news. Relena mixed a bit of cream into her tea and lifted it to her lips to take a sip.

"Last night, the Gundam Wing Zero was spotted flying over the Sanq Kingdom. The strange thing is, it did not appear to be heading for battle. Witnesses reported it looked like the Gundam was going on a joy ride," the newswoman said. Relena snorted into her tea cup, half in surprise, half in laughter. She sat it down quickly and lifted up her napkin, coughing into the white fabric.

"Relena!"

"Miss Relena, what's wrong?" Noine and Quatre leaned forward towards her, as if reaching for her would relieve her cough. Relena glanced at the television, where someone had a bad recording of Zero flying through the air, performing barrel rolls. Quatre and Noine must not have noticed.

"Nothing," Relena said, looking up at her friends, a smile spreading on face. "Nothing at all."

-\-/-

A/N: Is anyone else's mind in the gutter? -snicker-

-Scarlet Eve


End file.
